Burnley will hope for 22/23 impact after £7m signing arrives at Turf Moor: View | OneFootball

Burnley finally completed the signing of long-term target Zian Flemming from Millwall on deadline day.

It was an incredibly eventful summer transfer window for Burnley, who saw plenty of ups and downs in the last few months when it came to players arriving and departing.

The Clarets were relegated from the Premier League last season after just one year in the top flight, and they suffered a further blow when manager Vincent Kompany made a shock move to German giants Bayern Munich in May.

Scott Parker was appointed as Kompany's replacement, and it was a busy summer as the 43-year-old rebuilt his squad, with 12 new players arriving at Turf Moor, while two of last season's loanees, Maxime Esteve and Mike Tresor, completed permanent moves to the club.

There were also a number of departures, including Aro Muric, Vitinho, Dara O'Shea, Ameen Al-Dakhil, Sander Berge, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Anass Zaroury, Wilson Odobert and Wout Weghorst, but despite fears of a mass exodus in the closing stages of the window, Burnley managed to keep hold of the likes of James Trafford, Josh Brownhill, Lyle Foster and Luca Koleosho.

Midfielder Zian Flemming became the club's final signing of the window when he completed a loan move from Millwall on deadline day, with an obligation to buy for a fee in excess of £7 million, with the Dutchman being a long-term target for the Clarets.

Burnley had multiple offers rejected for Flemming last summer following their promotion to the Premier League, and after finally landing his signature, they will be hoping that he can replicate his form from the 2022-23 season rather than last term.

Burnley have taken a gamble with Zian Flemming signing

Flemming joined Millwall from Dutch side Fortuna Sittard for a fee of £1.7 million in the summer of 2022, and he enjoyed an outstanding first season at The Den, scoring 15 goals and providing three assists in 44 appearances in all competitions.

It was that kind of form that convinced Burnley to target Flemming last summer, but after the Clarets had a number of bids turned down for the 26-year-old, he struggled to maintain the same standards last season.

Flemming did still have a decent campaign last season, scoring eight goals and registering five assists in 48 games, but his goal return was significantly down on the previous year.

It is possible that Flemming was affected by missing out on the opportunity to play in the Premier League with Burnley, and he was also far from the only Millwall player to suffer a decline in form last season.

The Lions finished eighth in the table in Flemming's first year at the club, missing out on the play-off places on the final day of the campaign, but they were battling relegation for much of last season, and they eventually finished 13th.

There are mitigating circumstances for Flemming's struggles last season, but there is no doubt that the Clarets have taken a risk by committing to paying £7 million for the midfielder, and it remains to be seen whether he will be able to deliver for a side targeting promotion.

It seems that Flemming may not have been Burnley's first choice target as they did make two bids for Plymouth Argyle's Morgan Whittaker, and given that he scored 20 goals and provided nine assists in 50 appearances for the Pilgrims last season, he may have been the better option.

If Flemming can rediscover the form he showed in the 2022-23 season, he will certainly be a threat for the Clarets, but there is pressure on him to perform, particularly given some of the attacking talent the club have lost this summer.